That Touch of Lightning
by PhantomSiren
Summary: What if Sally had been alive, then somehow ended up in Dr. Finklestein's rag doll? Takes place a few months before the start of the movie.
1. Prologue: Nevada in July

Disclaimer: I don't own "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or any of its characters.  
  
That Touch of Lightning  
  
Nevada  
  
Sally Margaret Suitor put the last box into the back of the van and turned to her mother for a final goodbye. "I can't believe it," she sniffled. "My little girl, all grown up and going to college."  
  
Sally brushed an errant strand of short brown hair behind her ear and embraced her mother. "Goodbye, Mither," she said, using the childhood nickname from when she couldn't pronounce "Mother".  
  
The horn of the van honked. "Come on, Sally," Jennifer Trust, the owner of the van and on of Sally's best friends, whined as she puffed on a cigarette. "We still have to pick up Lanai and Tonya."  
  
"Oh, okay." Sally hugged her mother on last time, closed the door to the back of the van, and climbed in on the passenger side. Jennifer hit the gas almost before Sally could fasten her seatbelt. Sally twisted around in her seat to look back at her mother just in time to see her parting words: Be careful.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
They had picked up the rest of their friends and were now on the highway headed for school. "I can't wait to get there," Tonya said around her cigarette. "I hear the frat parties are great!"  
  
"Like, I know," Lanai replied in her fake Valley-girl accent, which she thought was cute. "College guys are, like, so mature. Ya know?"  
  
Sally rolled down the window so she wouldn't inhale any toxic fumes from the cancer sticks the others were puffing. She inhaled the fresh, crisp summer air and watched the clouds roll by. She had convinced her friends to sign up for summer courses at the University of Reno using their love of parties and boys against them. She, however, signed up so she could begin her classes early. There was so much to do in life! She didn't want to spend most of it waiting for fall to start school again. Sally munched on some potato chips while contemplating which classes she would take. Chemistry, definitely. Various math and science courses. She wasn't sure what she would do with her life, but she knew her field was science. She had never been very good at Home Economics type stuff--- she couldn't even sew well--- but she passed physics with flying colors. Maybe she could be a marine biologist. Or maybe...  
  
"If you keep eating all those chips, you're going to be fat."  
  
Sally thought about glaring at Jennifer, but decided not to. "I just don't want to be stick thin, that's all," she calmly replied. Jennifer snorted and ignored her again.  
  
Sally turned back to the window. Most of her friends thought she was, or would be, fat. Actually, she was just big boned.  
  
It was then that she noticed that Jennifer was driving a bit faster than necessary. They had gone from the highway to a freeway. There was a forest surrounding them, the clouds were a lot thicker, no streetlights were to be seen, and no other cars were in sight. And Jennifer was diving way over the speed limit. "Jennifer, slow down," Sally said. "You're going too fast."  
  
Jennifer tossed a cigarette butt out the window. "Ha. There's not even anyone around. Don't be such a worry-wart."  
  
Then the sky burst open. Torrents of rain poured down on the van. Jennifer cursed and rolled up the windows. Thunder crashed and lightning streaked directly overhead. "Jennifer, slow down!" Sally was adamant by now. "You can't see three feet ahead in this."  
  
Jennifer glared at her. "I can see just fine!" She turned back to look through the windshield, just in time to see a huge fir get hit by lightning and fall in front of the car. Jennifer swerved, the other girls screamed, and Sally clutched at the metal handle of her door. She watched everything as if it were in slow motion. The car heading for the trees, the bolt of lightning coming out from the sky, the same lightning hitting the car, sending a million watts of electricity through the front, around the engine, into every metal facet of the vehicle, straight to the door handle in Sally's hand. She felt fire run through her veins, hotter than the sun and more painful than anything. She heard someone screaming, and guessed it was she. Then, as swiftly as it had begun, the pain ceased, and Sally felt herself slipping away... 


	2. Chapter 1: The Infirmary on Elm Street

Disclaimer: See Prologue.  
  
That Touch Of Lightning  
  
Sally awoke with a start. She tried to look around, but everything was dark. Then she realized there was a sheet over her head. *Was that all a dream?* she wondered. *Probably.* Sally started to sit up, but found she was strapped down to a table or something.  
  
"Ha ha! It worked! She's alive!" Sally frowned, trying to place the voice. The sound wasn't quite unpleasant. But something about it rubbed her the wrong way. Suddenly the sheet was yanked away from her and a horrific face was staring at her. It had--- bolts?--- surrounding the crown of its bald head. Its huge lips looked like something belonging on a frog. Frog-lips smiled---she thought it was a smile--- and revealed about thirteen teeth to complete the grotesque picture. Swiftly, the thing slipped the leather straps from around her waist and hips that had been holding her to the operating table.  
  
Operating table?!  
  
Sally sat up. "Who are you?" she cried.  
  
"Oh, good. She's not a simpleton." The man--- she saw now that he was indeed human and male--- shifted a switch on his wheelchair, which she hadn't noticed before, and rolled back. "I, my dear, am Doctor Finklestein. Your creator. And I shall call you... Pearl."  
  
Was this guy for real? "My name is Sally," she said showing a bit of abnormal anger, for her. "Where are my friends?"  
  
The doctor--- she figured that, at least, was true. After being in a car crash it was no surprise that she was in the hospital--- seemed momentarily annoyed by her outburst. But he became recomposed almost immediately. "You must calm down, my dear. You're becoming delusional."  
  
That was so it. Sally swung her legs over the side of the table where Dr. Finkenoodle wasn't and slid off , determined to find her friends. "What are you doing, you foolish girl?" For a doctor, he wasn't very smart. As soon as her feet touched the ground Sally released the table...  
  
... and landed in a crumbled heap on the floor. Sally wasn't sure what had happened, but worry of her friends made her pick herself up so she could find them. She pushed herself into a sitting position and, using to table she had just vacated for help, climbed to her feet. Her legs and arms were wobbly, like they didn't have any bones to keep them firm. Just skin and muscle, if that. She heard the whirring of Dr. Froglebob's wheelchair coming around the table. She had to get moving if she was to find her friends in this infirmary on Elm Street. As quickly as possible while supporting herself on the operating board, Sally moved unsteadily towards the only door she could see. Considering how fast she wasn't moving, it was a long ways away. She reached the end of the table and pushed off, hoping she could catch the counter before she fell again.  
  
She fell again.  
  
When she pushed off, there wasn't enough strength behind the thrust for her to reach the counter two feet away. Instead she fell forward and onto the floor.  
  
"Ugh," Sally grunted when she hit. Her head hurt as if it had been sliced shallowly and swiftly with a sharp knife. She reached up to feel the abrasion and heard something crackle. In her hand was a... dried leaf? From her head?  
  
"Now see what you've done! Foolish doll," Dr. Fooglefife grumbled while he grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. He whirred her over to a chair and pulled her down like a recalcitrant child. He took the leaf from her hand and held it against her head. In his other hand he held a threaded needle. "Hold still," he ordered as he brought it to her head.  
  
Was he insane? He was not going to sew her head up! Not while she was still conscious! Sally was about to protest until she saw the mirror behind Dr. Fooglestein. She had never been one of those people that saw something pathetic or bizarre in a mirror without realizing it was she, but now she wished that she was. In the mirror was an image of Dr. Finklestein sewing up a tear in the head of a slender red-haired rag doll.  
  
Or, rather, of Sally. 


End file.
